Recently I was lucky enough to make it back to New York for a second time. You can read about my first trip here. And this time I did something that’s been on my to do list for a long long time – go all the way up to the crown of the Statue of Liberty.
Here’s how you can do it too, and what it’s really like to get inside Lady Liberty’s head.
How to book tickets for the crown of the Statue of Liberty
Crown tickets must be booked online through the official provider Statue City Cruises. These tickets are very limited and sell out months ahead of time, especially during peak seasons. I booked at the end of August for visting at the start of November.
Tickets are not particularly expensive at $26 per person, which includes round trip ferry service to Liberty Island and Ellis Island and entry to their museums and galleries. If you’re going to do both (plus the crown), allow at least 3 hours for the whole excursion. There’s a lot to take in!
You cannot buy tickets on the day. You must bring photo ID for each visitor and pass through airport-type security to gain access to the ferry.
Yikes! That’s high!
Visiting the crown of the Statue of Liberty
All your belongings must be placed in a locker before you go up. You can take a phone, water bottle and medication but that’s it. You’ll need a 25¢ coin for the locker.
The first part of the trip, to the pedestal, is via lift. If you’re not a big fan of heights then this may be enough for you.
Be aware that the climb to the crown is physically strenuous and may not be suitable for everyone. To get to the top, you’ll need to climb 162 steps up a narrow, spiral staircase from the top of the pedestal to the crown. There is a separate staircase to go down so it’s one way traffic each way. Children must be at least 42 inches tall and capable of climbing the stairs on their own.
When you get to the top, your visit is limited to 10 minutes only. However, it’s such a small space that this is plenty of time to take in the view and get a few pictures.
My verdict?
Whilst I’m really glad I went all the way to the top of such an iconic statue, I did find it to be a pretty scary experience. My legs were wobbling by the time I got back down to earth and didn’t stop wobbling for quite some time. It IS very high and it IS very narrow and claustrophobic.
In retrospect I can see that I was so in love with the idea of being in such an iconic space that I hadn’t given any thought to how I would get up there and what that would involve. Or the fact that I don’t much like heights and have a tendency towards claustrophobia. What was I thinking! Maybe I assumed that I’d get up there via special effects, or the scene would just cut and I’d be there by magic.
All in all though, it does feel very empowering to feel your fear and do it anyway. To take on a challenge that a lot of people wouldn’t. And it’s a good story to tell when you get back down to earth.
